Portable Reservoir Frame

ABSTRACT

A portable reservoir frame has a plurality of panels that form an enclosure when adjacent panels are connected. Each panel has a plurality apertures spaced at intervals along a first side edge and that extend through each panel between the exterior face and the interior face, and a plurality of male members spaced at intervals along a second side edge and protruding from the exterior face of the panel. Each male member is sized to extend through a corresponding aperture in the adjacent panel with the remote end protruding. There is one or more locking bar that has a plurality of receivers that, when installed, extends along the second side edge of the panel and simultaneously engages a plurality of male members. The receivers engage the peripheral engagement on the body of the male member and prevent the male member from being withdrawn from the aperture.

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/912,425 filed on Dec. 5, 2013.

FIELD

There is described a portable reservoir frame used to support a liquid impervious liner which is used to retain liquids.

BACKGROUND

When drilling for oil there is a need to retain liquids on site. As many of these sites are remote, the practice has developed of using a portable reservoir frame which supports a liquid impervious liner. Examples of two such portable reservoir frames currently employed at remote sites include Canadian Patent 2,692,016 (Wiebe) and U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,167 (Lovelace et al). There will hereinafter be described an alternative portable reservoir frame.

SUMMARY

There is provided a portable reservoir frame which includes a plurality of panels which form an enclosure. Each individual panel has an exterior face, an interior face, a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge. A panel connector system is provided which includes a plurality apertures spaced at intervals along the first side edge and extending through each panel between the exterior face and the interior face. A plurality of male members are spaced at intervals along the second side edge, protruding from the exterior face of the panel. Each male member has a body, a peripheral engagement on the body and a remote end. The body is sized to extend through one of the plurality of apertures with the remote end protruding. A locking member is provided that engages the peripheral engagement on the body of the male member and prevents the male member from being withdrawn from the aperture.

Although beneficial results may be obtained through the use of square enclosures, circular enclosures are generally viewed as being better for these applications. Even more beneficial results may, therefore, be obtained when each of the panels has a radius of curvature, such that when the panels are connected together the enclosure is circular.

Although a raised peripheral engagement could be employed, it is more practical to use a recessed peripheral engagement in the form of opposed grooves.

Although the male members can be made square or rectangular in cross-section with opposed side grooves; with the preferred form, hereinafter illustrated and described, the body of each of the male members is circular in cross-section and the opposed grooves on the body of the male member are connected to circumscribe the body.

Although a series of individual locking members is workable, assembly time can be saved when a locking bar carries a plurality of the locking members so multiple male members may be locked at the same time.

Other aspects and features will be apparent from the description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an individual panel.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the individual panel illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a panel connector system for connecting two individual panels.

FIG. 4 is a detailed top plan view of the panel connector system panel illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a locking bar with a plurality of locking members.

FIG. 6 is a detailed top plan view of the panel connector system illustrated in FIG. 4, with male member protruding from an exterior face of a second panel along a second side edge engaged with an aperture along a first side edge of a first panel, with the male member engaged with the locking bar illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a detailed front elevation view of the male member being engaged by the locking members on the locking bar as illustrated in FIG. 6

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the individual panels of FIG. 1 connected to form a circular enclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A portable reservoir frame generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 through 8.

Structure and Relationship of Parts

Referring to FIG. 8, portable reservoir frame includes a plurality of panels 12 which are connected, as will hereinafter be described, to form an enclosure, generally indicated by reference numeral 100. In one embodiment, an enclosure was made from 14 panels, however the number of panels used will depend on the size of the tank. Each of panels 12 has a radius of curvature, such that when panels 12 are connected together enclosure 100 is circular. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each individual panel 12 has an exterior face 14, an interior face 16, a top edge 18, a bottom edge 20, a first side edge 22, and a second side edge 24.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a panel connector system, generally indicated by reference numeral 26 is provided which includes a plurality apertures 28 spaced at intervals along first side edge 22 and extending through each panel between exterior face 14 and interior face 16. A plurality of male members 30 are spaced at intervals along second side edge 24, protruding from exterior face 14 of panel 12. Each male member 30 has a body 32, a recessed peripheral engagement on body 32 in the form of opposed grooves 34 and a remote end 36. Referring to FIG. 6, body 32 is sized to extend through one of the plurality of apertures 28 with remote end 36 protruding. Although the male members can be made square or rectangular in cross-section with opposed side grooves 34, in the illustrated embodiment body 32 of each of male members 30 is circular in cross-section and opposed grooves 34 on body 32 are connected to circumscribe body 32.

Referring to FIG. 5, a locking member 38 is provided that engages opposed grooves 34 on body 32 of male member 30. Referring to FIG. 6, locking member 38 functions as a yoke to engage opposed grooves 34 and prevent male member 30 from being withdrawn from aperture 28. Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, it is preferred that a locking bar 40 be provided that carries a plurality of locking members 38. This enables multiple male members 30 to be locked at the same time. In one example, beneficial results were found when two locking bars 40 were used for each row of male members 30. in other examples, a single locking bar 40 may be used, or more than two locking bars may be used. A locking members 38 have a keyhole shaped entry 42, having a large portion 44 and a narrow portion 46. Large portion 44 of keyhole shaped entry of locking members 38 is placed over male member 30. Locking bar 40 is then moved downwardly to engage opposed grooves 38 on body 32 of male member 30 with narrow portion 46.

As shown, male members 30 are closer to provide more strength against the higher pressures that will be encountered at the bottom of panel 12 when the enclosure is filled. Locking bar 40 will be designed accordingly, either with a series of engagements 42 that have a spacing provides a universal fit (e.g. such that some engagements may not be used), or may be designed to be installed in a particular orientation or at the top or bottom of panel 12.

Operation

Referring to FIG. 8, panels 12 are connected to form enclosure 100. Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in preparation for connecting panels 12 a first second side edge 22 of a first panel 12 is placed next to a second side edge 24 of a second panel 12′. Referring to FIG. 6, male members 30 positioned along second side edge 24 of second panel 12′ are then inserted into apertures 28 positioned along first side edge 22 of first panel 12. Locking bar 40, illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, is then used to position large portion 44 of keyhole shaped entry of each of locking members 38 over male member 30. Locking bar 40 is then moved downwardly to engage opposed grooves 38 on body 32 of male member 30 within narrow portion 46. Referring to FIG. 6, with locking members 38 on locking bar 40 engaged with male members 30, as described, male members are secured against being withdrawn from apertures 28.

Variations

It will be appreciated that enclosure 100 need not be circular, but could be rectangular, square, or another polygon. It will be appreciated that instead of a recessed peripheral engagement (such as opposed grooves 34), a raised peripheral engagement could be employed by allowing greater clearance through apertures 28. It will be appreciated that locking members 38 could be individual, instead of being carried by locking bar 40.

In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements.

The scope of the claims should not be limited by the illustrated embodiments set forth as examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with a purposive construction of the claims in view of the description as a whole. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable reservoir frame, comprising: a plurality of panels that form an enclosure when adjacent panels are connected, each panel comprising: an exterior face, an interior face, a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge; a plurality apertures spaced at intervals along the first side edge and extending through each panel between the exterior face and the interior face; and a plurality of male members spaced at intervals along the second side edge and protruding from the exterior face of the panel, each male member having body, a peripheral engagement on the body and a remote end, the body being sized to extend through a corresponding aperture in the adjacent panel with the remote end protruding; and one or more locking bar, each locking plate that having a plurality of receivers that, when installed, extends along the second side edge of the panel and simultaneously engages a plurality of male members, wherein the receivers engage the peripheral engagement on the body of the male member and prevents the male member from being withdrawn from the aperture.
 2. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, wherein the peripheral engagement comprises opposed grooves.
 3. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, wherein each of the panels has a radius of curvature, such that when the panels are connected together the enclosure is circular.
 4. The portable reservoir frame of claim 2, wherein the body of each of the male members is circular in cross-section and the opposed grooves on the body of the male member are connected to circumscribe the body. 